Hinge assembly and electronic device including the same

Abstract

An electronic device may include a display, a first housing, a second housing, and a hinge assembly configured to connect the first housing to the second housing and operate between a folded state and an unfolded state, wherein the hinge assembly may include a hinge bracket, a slider slidably connected to the hinge bracket and including a pair of reference cams and a pair of rotation rails configured to define a pair of hinge axes, a pair of rotators rotatably connected to the slider with the pair of hinge axes as centers, respectively, and both including a rotation cam configured to interoperate with the reference cams, and an elastic member configured to provide an elastic force in a direction in which the reference cam and the rotation cam press each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device comprising:
 a display comprising a first area, a second area, and a folding area between the first area and the second area;   a first housing configured to support the first area;   a second housing configured to support the second area; and   a hinge assembly configured to connect the first housing to the second housing and operate between a folded state in which the first area and the second area face each other and an unfolded state in which the first area and the second area do not face each other,   wherein the hinge assembly comprises:
 a hinge bracket; 
 a slider slidably connected to the hinge bracket and comprising a pair of reference cams and a pair of rotation rails configured to define a pair of parallel hinge axes; 
 a pair of rotators rotatably connected to the slider with the pair of hinge axes as centers, respectively, and each comprising a rotation cam configured to interoperate with a corresponding one of the reference cams; and 
 elastic members, each comprising an elastic material, and each configured to provide an elastic force in a direction in which the reference cams and the corresponding rotation cams press each other, 
   wherein, as the rotators rotate on the respective hinge axes, the slider slides relative to the hinge bracket in a direction of the hinge axes by interoperation between the reference cams and the rotation cams.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the slider further comprises:
 a pair of main bodies in which each of the rotation rails and each of the reference cams are provided; and   a bridge body configured to connect the pair of main bodies to each other.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the slider comprises elastic member support pins protruding from each main body and each configured to support a first side of a corresponding elastic member. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the rotation rail and the reference cam are provided on a first side of the main body, and
 the elastic member support pin is provided on a second side of the main body.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 4 , wherein the hinge bracket comprises elastic member support protrusions each protruding in a direction facing a corresponding one of elastic member support pins and configured to support a second side of a corresponding elastic member. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge bracket comprises a pair of sliding rails provided in a direction parallel with the hinge axes, and
 the slider further comprises a pair of sliding protrusions slidably connected to the pair of sliding rails along the pair of sliding rails, respectively.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 6 , wherein the hinge bracket further comprises a pair of sliding guide rails provided in a direction parallel with the hinge axis, and
 the slider further comprises a sliding guide protrusion configured to guide a sliding path of the slider.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein a pair of sliders is provided, and
 the pair of sliders is arranged such that a rotation rail and a corresponding reference cam are arranged in a direction facing each other and spaced apart from each other.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein one slider is provided, and
 the hinge bracket comprises a pair of bracket rotation rails provided in a direction facing the pair of rotation rails of the slider.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein each rotation cam has an arc shape with the corresponding hinge axis as a center. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein each reference cam comprises a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface,
 each rotation cam comprises a fourth surface, a fifth surface, and a sixth surface,   in the unfolded state, the first surface contacts the fourth surface,   in the folded state, the third surface contacts the sixth surface,   in an intermediate state between the unfolded state and the folded state, the second surface contacts the fifth surface, and   the second surface and the fifth surface are inclined with respect to the hinge axis.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein each rotator comprises a rail groove configured to interoperate with a corresponding rotation rail. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein, in an intermediate state between the unfolded state and the folded state, the rotation rail is fastened in the rail groove by at least 0.5 millimeters. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein a difference between a width of the rotation rail and a width of the rail groove is less than or equal to 0.03 millimeters. 
     
     
         15 . A hinge assembly for a foldable electronic device, the hinge assembly comprising:
 a hinge bracket;   a slider slidably connected to the hinge bracket and comprising a pair of reference cams and a pair of rotation rails configured to define a pair of parallel hinge axes;   a pair of rotators rotatably connected to the slider with the pair of hinge axes as centers, respectively, and each comprising a rotation cam configured to interoperate with a corresponding one of the reference cams; and   elastic members, each comprising an elastic material, and each configured to provide an elastic force in a direction in which the reference cams and the corresponding rotation cams press each other,   wherein, as the rotators rotate on the respective hinge axes, the slider slides relative to the hinge bracket in a direction of the hinge axes by interoperation between the reference cams and the rotation cams.   
     
     
         16 . The hinge assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the slider further comprises:
 a pair of main bodies in which each of the rotation rails and each of the reference cams are provided;   a bridge body connecting the pair of main bodies to each other; and   elastic member support pins protruding from the main body and each configured to support a first side of a corresponding elastic member.   
     
     
         17 . The hinge assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the hinge bracket comprises a pair of sliding rails provided in a direction parallel with the hinge axes, and
 the slider further comprises a pair of sliding protrusions slidably connected to the pair of sliding rails along the pair of sliding rails, respectively.   
     
     
         18 . The hinge assembly of  claim 15 , wherein each rotation cam has an arc shape with the corresponding hinge axis as a center. 
     
     
         19 . An electronic device comprising:
 a display comprising a first area, a second area, and a folding area between the first area and the second area;   a first housing configured to support the first area;   a second housing configured to support the second area; and   a hinge assembly configured to connect the first housing to the second housing and operate between a folded state in which the first area and the second area face each other and an unfolded state in which the first area and the second area do not face each other,   wherein the hinge assembly comprises:
 a hinge bracket; 
 a slider slidably connected to the hinge bracket and comprising a pair of reference cams and a pair of rotation rails configured to define a pair of parallel hinge axes; 
 a pair of rotators rotatably connected to the slider with the pair of hinge axes as centers, respectively, and each comprising a rotation cam configured to interoperate with a corresponding one of the reference cams; and 
 elastic members, each comprising an elastic material, and each configured to provide an elastic force in a direction in which the reference cams and the corresponding rotation cams press each other, 
   wherein the slider further comprises:
 a pair of main bodies in which each of the rotation rails and each of the reference cam are provided; 
 a bridge body connecting the pair of main bodies to each other; and 
 elastic member support pins protruding from the main body and each configured to support a first side of a corresponding elastic member, 
   wherein the hinge bracket comprises a pair of sliding rails provided in a direction parallel with the hinge axes,   the slider further comprises a pair of sliding protrusions slidably connected to the pair of sliding rails along the pair of sliding rails, respectively,   wherein each rotation cam has an arc shape with the corresponding hinge axis as a center, and   wherein, as the rotators rotate on the respective hinge axes, the slider slides relative to the hinge bracket in a direction of the hinge axes by interoperation between the reference cams and the rotation cams.